Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
4-6-1, 0-3-1Big 12
Texas
8-2-1, 3-0-0Big 12
Soccer Falls 1-0 To No. 4 Texas
October 06, 2002 | Soccer
BOULDER - Set up by a corner with 11 seconds to play, Fran Munnelly's shot to tie the game with seconds left hit the crossbar as Colorado fell on the short end of a 1-0 score to fourth-ranked Texas at the Pleasant View Soccer Complex here Sunday.
"There are no more moral victories," said second year head coach Bill Hempen following the heartbreaking loss. "You can't fault the effort, but we still lost. We played the No. 4 team in the country and we made them earn it."
A Lindsey Galas foul inside the penalty area in the 32nd minute set up the Texas penalty kick successfully converted by Kati McBain who placed the ball in the lower left corner of the net past Colorado keeper Sara Erskine. The PK was the only score preventing Colorado from forcing an overtime decision.
"Lindsey Galas did a great job on her (McBain) all day. She made that play happen," complemented Hempen. "But they're the No. 4 team in the country because they created and finished their chances."
The loss was CU's tightest game with Texas since a 1-0 loss in the 1997 Big 12 Tournament in San Antonio. With the back-to-back losses to top-10 opponents, Colorado is 4-6-1 overall, and still in search of its first conference win, falling to 0-3-1 in league action. Texas improves to 8-2-1/3-0 in Big 12 play.
Colorado challenged Texas early in the contest with three straight possessions in the first several minutes of play. In the third minute Jen Thais served Ellen Falender from midfield and Falender's shot from the left side of the goal was saved by Texas keeper Darci Carruthers. A minute later a Colorado corner kick was knocked from Carruthers by Tiffany Booth who set up a Kristina Lamberty header in the crowd in front of the net. Texas responded in the 10th minute when Kelly Wison's shot forced Erskine to make a diving save to her right.
Falender would get another pair of shots off forcing Longhorn defenders Julie Gailey and Laura Kram to make a pair of team saves on the goal line in the 25th and 26th minutes, respectively.
"Their backs made some saves, again, good teams do that," said Hempen.
Despite the 1-0 shortcoming, the Buffs would go into the intermission with the advantage in shots (7-6) and corner kicks (4-1) while forcing Texas to make four saves to CU's three.
Alyssa Burgess had an opportunity to knot the game when her shot in the 54th minute from the left side sailed across the net and Carruthers got her hands on the ball for the deflection.
Erskine came up with the save of the day in the 85th minute when Kylee Wosnuk beat the CU backs and challenged Erskine to a game of one v. one won by the Colorado netminder when she dove on the low shot in the middle of the net.
Colorado's late-game arsenal had three shots in the final minutes, beginning with a Burgess attempt and Kristina Lamberty header, both stopped by Carruthers before a CU corner taken by Falender with 11 seconds remaining set up Munnelly's final shot of the game.
"It was a game played between the 18s, and we had one good chance that hit the crossbar. We just didn't finish today," concluded Hempen.
Team Stats
McBain, Kati
Penalty kick
31:43
